Munshiganj potato farmers eye bumper production

Potato cultivators of Munshiganj pass hectic moments at a field in the district. Photo: BP

Munshiganj Correspondent
The cultivation of new potatoes in Munshiganj is going on in full swing and the farmers of the district are excited eying a bumper production.
If the yield is good, the farmers of the district would bag great profit, hoped farmers and district agricultural officers.
Although potato farmers in the district can potentially earn income throughout the year without any seasonal hardship; during the last season, two potato varieties could not yield enough production due to irregular rainfall, and the money that the farmers had invested in potatoes could not be realised fully.
Many cultivators incurred losses, as the price of every bag of potato stood at Tk 300 only, much less than the production cost.
The season of potato cultivation is ongoing in Munshiganj district in six upazilas of the district.
Farmers have started to prepare relatively higher land for potato cultivation. On the other hand, due to the Aman crops on some low land, the land will be ready for potato cultivation only a few days after harvest, said farmer Mazid Mia of Radha Para village of the district of Adhara union.
Molakandi Union’s potato farmer Junaid said that he did not get enough profit in the last season. He also said that the cost of production of potato is about taka four hundred. Then every sack of potato needs taka two hundred for freezing. On the other hand, there is fear of loss during transportation waste of potatoes, which can be very much dependent on luck. Though there is no crisis of potato seeds and fertilizer since the beginning of every year, traders and dealers syndicates meddle and increase the prices of fertilizers and seeds by creating artificial crisis along with influential people.
However, there are sufficient fertilisers in the district this year, said fertilizer dealer Nawab Ali.
Jasim Ghazi, another dealer from Charakewar Union, said there will be no fertilizer crisis in the district this year. He said that urea is now taka eighty thousand in the market. On the other hand, the value of TSP is Taka 11.12. Already the new potato seeds have started coming to the market. District Marketing Officer Ruhul Kabir said that there are 193 seeds dealers in the district. He said that potato seed will not be a crisis in the district.
According to the District Extension Department, in the current season, the target of potato cultivation has been set at 38,800 hectares of land in Munshiganj district.